1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toys, and more particularly is a toy model building set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a plethora of references directed to building toys. The line of toys to which the present invention is directed includes such time tested favorites as ERECTOR SETS and TINKER TOYS. While these classics utilized mostly metal and wood components, current art toys are chiefly made of molded plastic.
The common thread between all the model building toys is that they typically comprise at least a plurality of connecting elements and a plurality of structural elements joined with the connecting elements to build the desired models. The point of differentiation for all the various toys is that they vary from each other in the ways that the connecting elements function, and the number and type of structural elements that are available.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a set of model building toys that includes effective and versatile connection means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a set of model building toys that includes varied structural elements.
The present invention is a toy model building set comprising pluralities of generally circular daisy elements, wedge elements, and straight and curved rod elements. The rod elements may be equipped on their ends with ball and socket connectors, or with post and socket connectors. The rods may be either curved, angled, or straight.
The daisy elements can be joined to each other in at least four distinct ways, and can be used as connectors for different elements in a variety of ways. The daisy elements comprise multiple circular knobs joined by a stem to a central hub. A through hole in the central hub allows the daisy element to receive rod elements in addition to other daisy elements.
The wedge elements are pie-shaped elements including two adjoining straight sides and a third curved side. One of the straight sides is equipped with a ball connector, and the other straight side is equipped with a compatible socket connector. Using these connectors, multiple wedge elements can be joined to form circular components such as wheels. The wedge elements also include interior socket connectors.
An advantage of the present invention is that the individual elements are very versatile. A user can connect them in many different ways to enable the formation of a great many different types of structures.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the daisy elements can be joined together to form generally planar elements.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that although the set includes a small number of distinct elements, the versatility of the elements makes possible the construction of nearly any item that can be imagined by the user.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention as described herein and as illustrated in the drawings.